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Cisco Introduces Next Generation Wireless Controller

More and more mobile devices on the network, new malware variants every year, loss of productivity and large Cost incurred due to network outage, cloud adoption are some of the challenges putting pressure on IT. 

Now business wants more not just infrastructure to provide basic wireless connectivity. And the new demands include but not limited to near zero downtime, built-in security and deployment flexibility including the cloud environment and openness to programmability to perform automation. 

Catalyst 9800 is next generation wireless controller that is built-up on IOS-XE operating system. Which is modular in operation and open for programmability. 

Idea here is to get all the good features from IOS-XE such as programmability, scalability, high availability, Software modularity etc. along with all RF intelligence, Wireless Assurance from controllers running on AireOS

Fig 1.1- Cisco Next Generation Wireless Controller

Following are the outcomes when IOS-XE and Cisco WLC intelligence put together into next Generation wireless controller: 
  • Always On: seamless software upgrade with Software Maintenance Upgrade (patching without upgrade of complete OS), AP Upgrades features, seamlessly adding new Access Points without upgrading the complete network 
  • Deployment Flexibility: this next generation wireless controller can be deployed on Switch (catalyst 9300 and 9500), Virtual environment (KVM, EXSi), and cloud environment (AWS, Google Cloud) 
  • Secure Network: ability to detect threats in encrypted traffic through ETA, automated segmentation, WPA3 support, secure-boot and hardware authenticity (trustworthy system)  
  • Programmability: open APIs support and standard YANG modeling to automate network operations 

With introduction to Catalyst 9800 Wireless controller, now Cisco complete Access solution (Wireless, switching) runs on IOS-XE OS.